Van Buren basketball star Parise Rossignol breaks 2,000-point mark

Michael C. York | BDN

Michael C. York | BDN

Van Buren’s Parise Rossignol hauls in a defensive rebound against Hodgdon during an Eastern Maine Class D tourney game last February at the Bangor Auditorium. Rossignol reached the 2,000-point career scoring mark Tuesday night.

“When she gets within a basket of it, I’m going to sub her out,” quipped Matt Rossignol.

“That’s the goal if he lets me,” joked Parise.

The 5-foot-8 senior has 2,021 career points. With 14 regular-season games remaining, barring an injury, she certainly should break her father’s record before the end of the regular season.

They are the first father-daughter team in Maine to each eclipse 2,000 points and she is the 16th player and seventh girl to reach the milestone in the state.

She has averaged 29.3 points in her first four games this season in leading her team to a 3-1 start.

Then she will set her sights on Cindy Blodgett’s state-record 2,596 points set when she played for Lawrence of Fairfield in 1990-94.

“That’s a pretty tough one,” said Parise. “I don’t think too much about it. If it happens, it happens. I’m more focused on winning and making it deep into the tournament.

“That’s my mindset right now,” she added.

Rossignol’s 2,021 points include seven preseason games during her career.

“The school has established that precedent,” said Matt Rossignol. “They counted eight preseason games for me. Some don’t agree with it but it’s up to each individual school. They have a cap of two preseason games per year. In my freshman year, I only played 15 games because we didn’t make the tournament.”

He noted that players such as Blodgett who play in four state championship games will play a maximum of 88 games during their high school careers.

“I played 79 games in my career,” said Matt Rossignol.

Parise Rossignol said she never anticipated breaking the 2,000-point mark when she began her career.

“I’ve been extremely lucky. I think I’ve missed only one game. I had a bug or something. My teammates have set me up very well. They would have to put me in good position [to score] in order for this to happen,” said Parise Rossignol.

Matt and Monique Rossignol are proud of their daughter and he said she broke the 2,000-point mark in typical fashion.

“She beat two defenders to the base line and hit a 15-foot pull-up jumper,” said Matt.

She ended up scoring 23 points in a 61-52 loss to the Limestone Community School/Maine School of Science and Mathematics.